For all you VT BASS owner's.

smo · #1 04-22-2009, 10:57 PM

You still like it?
Once the honeymoon is over - does the pedal still live up to the hype surrounding it?

I'm kinda 50-50 on whether to get one, but I have a few questions.
I'll be looking to use it as my sole pre-amp into a tube slave.
I'm currently using a PBDDI - which will then become a dirt monster earlier in the signal chain, due to the blend feature.

Does the lack of a blend make the lows a little too distorted on the more wild settings?

Is it transparent?

Can it do a light OD tone really well, with a very even frequency response? (this is the deal breaker for me)

And finally - if you place other fuzz/OD etc pedals before or after it, how does it behave with tone/dirt stacking?

Thanks everyone, smo

JimmyM · #2 04-23-2009, 12:01 AM

It's designed to sound like an Ampeg turned way up, so it doesn't really need a blend knob, but it's not a clean bottom end, no. If you don't get enough lows it will wash out, but the low knob is really effective at keeping them in there.

It has a setting where it's flat. The knobs don't look flat when you get it, but it can be set flat.

Light OD is what I use it for. I think it's great but you have to like Ampegs because that's all it does.

I don't do much stacking yet, but it'll make other pedals sound edgier.

I'm a fan.

sk8 · #3 04-23-2009, 01:33 AM

i'm probably still in the honeymoon period but i don't ever envisage playing without it or turned off. it is my sound, i love it!

joeydavidson · #4 04-23-2009, 02:22 AM

I'm happy with it, I never stopped using it since I got it about 8 months ago.

rodl2005 · #5 04-23-2009, 02:47 AM

Got mine a few months ago, & used it on about 20 gigs at least. 4 me- honemoon was over about 6/7 gig ago. Still love it. I'll pretty much echo JiMMYM's opinions on it. It stacks OK with my Badder Monkey Tube OD. I use it w/ my LMII to add some tube style slight break up or even clean warmth. Sometimes as a straight up OD pedal. W/ my Ampeg tube amps-a V4BH & a SVTII- I sometimes use it simply as another sound(I can adjust it so it sounds virtually EXACTLY the same as either of those amps) or again as a slighly more OD'd version of what I'm already using. It HAS PLENTY of bottom end if U wanna dial it in. IMO- it's just a damn good pedal, I can use it all night- leaving it on, or use it sporadically for another sound. It gets the most use outta all my pedals!!!

jfunk · #6 04-23-2009, 06:15 AM

I agree with jimmy.
It's is my light OD pedal for me. I don't use it all the time (although I can see how people do). I love the sounds of tubes slightly breaking up for a light OD so this works perfectly for me. I have yet to stack it with other fuzz/od pedals so I can't comment on that.

NoHomework81 · #7 04-23-2009, 06:16 AM

Honeymoon's over, and we're filing divorce. You can check her out in the classifieds if you like

.

I mean, the overdrive does sound great. For live sound, it just never made enough of a difference for me to justify keeping it on the pedalboard, so I'm letting her go. And the mid voicing always irked me good. It definitely has plenty of bottom end. No need for a blend here.

wazzel · #8 04-23-2009, 07:43 AM

I keep mine for situation when I need to play direct and use it as a pre amp. I like a little tube feel to my sound. It does not live on my board.

3toes · #9 04-23-2009, 07:53 AM

Still loving mine and I leave it on all the time while I'm playing. I set mine at somewhat moderate settings, but have just enough drive to where if I dig in on my strings, it'll go just beyond the verge of breakup on the lower notes.

Sounds naaaaasty

Ric5 · #10 04-23-2009, 08:01 AM

It is a nice pedal ... I use it to add a warm tube sound to my mix ... it is on one of the 4 parallel tracks of my effects board.

Bardley · #11 04-23-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

It's designed to sound like an Ampeg turned way up, so it doesn't really need a blend knob, but it's not a clean bottom end, no. If you don't get enough lows it will wash out, but the low knob is really effective at keeping them in there.

It has a setting where it's flat. The knobs don't look flat when you get it, but it can be set flat.

Light OD is what I use it for. I think it's great but you have to like Ampegs because that's all it does.

I don't do much stacking yet, but it'll make other pedals sound edgier.

I'm a fan.

I love mine still. I use it just about all of the time.

Not to derail, but if you don't mind, Jimmy, what are the settings for the VT to be flat that you have found? You can PM me if you want to keep the OPs thread on track. Thanks, man.

anthowl · #12 04-23-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bardley

I love mine still. I use it just about all of the time.

Not to derail, but if you don't mind, Jimmy, what are the settings for the VT to be flat that you have found? You can PM me if you want to keep the OPs thread on track. Thanks, man.

would also be interested hearing that. i'm probably buying one tomorrow, i like it but i also like my rig as is and it'd be cool to have it set close to flat.

dannybuoy · #13 04-23-2009, 08:26 AM

VT Bass frequency response plots

Drive doesn't have to be all the way down, although it will change the response if you crank it much past 1 o'clock. Those knobs aren't at noon either, just very slightly above - the EQ is very sensitive!

Kenny Allyn · #14 04-23-2009, 08:44 AM

Had it for a while now and still diggin it ...

Not much into the pedals overdrive sound, I like the "clean" tube thing, so it drives my Voodoo bass when I need OD

... All in all a very gig worthy pedal IMO

anthowl · #15 04-23-2009, 08:48 AM

does anybody record direct through it? how does that work?

Bardley · #16 04-23-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

VT Bass frequency response plots

Drive doesn't have to be all the way down, although it will change the response if you crank it much past 1 o'clock. Those knobs aren't at noon either, just very slightly above - the EQ is very sensitive!

Thanks! That is a great thread! Just what I was looking for.

jtkennedy9 · #17 04-23-2009, 09:19 AM

I just got mine, but I love the sound of it...We had practice last night, and our singer really like what it added to my sound...A keeper!

fishtx · #18 04-23-2009, 09:25 AM

I'm still honeymooning with mine, but did find that having a compressor in front of the VT Bass caused me some problems (with a compulator in front of it and compression set at about 9:30 and unity gain, I was getting a lot of noise and breakup even when the VT Bass was off). I have now removed the compressor from the board, and it seems to be fine now.

I'm gigging it again this weekend, and plan to use it for maybe 1/3 of the material...

rosstanium · #19 04-23-2009, 09:27 AM

the honeymoon is over. 'till death do us part...unless I ever meet her multiple channel, programmable older sister...which I don't know will ever exist or not, but I hear she's hot.

anthowl · #20 04-23-2009, 09:33 AM

gah this thread owns